Things to see and do

This annual event is held at the beginning of Buddhist Lent (Asanlaha Bucha Day), which commemorates the beginning of Khao Phansa, or the monks’ three-month rain retreat, when they hibernate in their temple grounds for meditation. Although it’s usually at the end of July or early August, be ... read more

Built in 1918, this building was originally Ubon’s City Hall but now serves as a museum, providing a comprehensive overview of Isaan’s development in geography, history, culture architecture, art and religion.
Each room of this rectangle wooden building represents a period of time in the ... read more

This wat was built during the reign of Rama III and is considered to demonstrate a blend of Lao and Rattanakosin architecture.
The chapel walls are adorned with murals from the era of Rama II. The most unique aspect of the wat is the Scripture Hall, which sits at the centre of small pond on ... read more

Located 12 kilometres south of Ubon in Warin Chamrap district, this peaceful forest wat was founded by the Venerable Ajarn Chah. Once an abandoned temple, Ajarn Chah initiated a project to turn it into a meditation site until it became an official monastery in 1954. The atmosphere is unlike typical ... read more

The main attraction here is not the large building in the front of the compound, but rather the smaller wooden and concrete bot towards the rear. Known for its elegantly carved wooden gables, Wat Chaeng also has some rather unusual guardians in the form of large fanged concrete crocodiles on the ... read more

Built on the orders of King Rama IV to provide a temple for royal ceremonies, this wat was erected in a tranquil setting on the bank of the Moon River. The bot was built in 1920 and shows an interesting mix of three distinct styles: a Khmer influenced base, a German midsection and Thai styled ... read more

Like Wat Nong Pa Pong, this international wat was also built by the Venerable Ajarn Chah along with his American disciple to provide English speakers with an opportunity to practise the forest tradition of Buddhism, a "back to the roots" model that emphas English is the primary spoken language of ... read more

Located directly in the centre of town, this public park offers pleasurable surroundings if you’re looking to kill time at no cost.
In the park, you’ll find several monuments of importance: a memorial of the founder of Ubon,Chao Khampong, a monument of merit to recognise the people of Ubon, ... read more

Built in 1807, this wat is commonly referred to as Wat Pa Yai and is regarded as the principal wat in Ubon. It was originally a religious centre for meditation practices until it was upgraded to a monastery under its second abbot. The wat contains the Phra Chao Yai In Paeng, a highly revered ... read more

Located to the north of the centre of town on the road to Amnat Charoen, this sizeable wat was modelled after the Great Chedi of Bodh Gaya in India which houses Buddha’s holy relics. It is definitely worth a trip to see a wat which dares to be different and a songthaew out to it is certainly ... read more

Located on Uparat Road, the bot of this wat was modelled on Wat Benchamabophit in Bangkok. The Buddha image, Phra Kaew Busarakha, is made of topaz and is believed to be the largest single piece of topaz in Thailand and the most important statue of the province. The Buddha was brought to Thailand ... read more